IT FIGURES
by James A. Baumann
College and university campuses have long been epicenters for free speech debates. In recent years, though, the debates over the very nature of debate have grown in their intensity. Free speech on campus has recently been the subject of executive orders, the U.S. Department of Education policies, and numerous pieces of legislation at the state level. Caught in the middle of this often are campus housing professionals. For those on the front lines of the free speech battles, it is more than a discussion of hypotheticals. They face real-world instances filled with variables.
To gather insight and develop guidelines for housing officers to prepare for and better navigate such day-to-day tensions, PEN America partnered with ACUHO-I to conduct a survey on these challenges. (Read more about their findings.) A variety of questions were asked of 288 residential staff, including what topics related to free speech are covered in training for resident assistants. Surveys showed that 94% covered conflict resolution and mediation; 87% included the importance of treating all residents with civility, dignity, and respect; 77% included empathy and understanding around the experiences of under-represented groups; 76% included how to facilitate meaningful conversations with residents about inclusion and diversity; and 73% addressed unconscious or implicit bias.
Less common, though, were subjects more specifically related to free speech. Survey responses showed that 60% of the trainings addressed how to handle situations involving hateful speech, 57% included social media policies for RAs and residents, 29% discussed the tension between free speech and insensitive speech, and 25% addressed laws and policies pertaining to protections for free speech.
Additional survey findings identified other areas campuses could address. When asked to identify the biggest challenge among four different free speech issues (Figure 1), 42% noted "a general misunderstanding among residents about the First Amendment and its protections," 20% said "too many residents feel offended or hurt by the speech of other residents," 17% said "too many residents use speech that other residents find objectionable," and 12% noted "inconsistent school policies and guidelines."
Survey participants also spoke about their institution's policies and guidelines around free speech (Figure 2). Those responses showed that 25% felt "the policies and guidelines are in good shape and need little or no change," 55% said they are "OK but need some revisions to be more effective," 9% said "there’s so much wrong with the policies and guidelines that a complete overhaul is necessary," and 12% were not sure.
Finally, when it came to a self-assessment, asking what areas respondents felt "very confident" about, 46% noted "talking with residents about diversity and inclusion," 40% said "their supervisor’s ability to provide thoughtful advice regarding conflicts over speech among residents," 39% said "talking with residents about hateful speech," 29% said discussing issues concerning free speech or the First Amendment," and 19% said helping residents resolve free speech conflicts.
James A. Baumann is the editor of Talking Stick.
